Thank you for the opportunity to review this article.
The Author elaborates on the effects of the pandemic on CPD emphasising its variable academic structure and regulation requirements and proposes a framework to tackle emerging challenges. Nicely entitled, the article invites us to find more about the possible meaning(s) for the “r” and calls for the CPD community’s collective thinking. Anchoring the willingness to take the disruptive pandemic situation as a challenging opportunity, a feeling of curiosity, adaption and growth perspires across the article.
While recognising classical components of good CPD in the definitions featured by the six “r”s we discover how the Author proposes to build on them to effectively adapt and evolve. A note of remark for considering team competence (multidisciplinary and interprofessional).
Pivoting to online learning strategies will further innovation in CPD activities and systems’ design and generate roles’ reorganisation. Perhaps some illustrating examples coupled with the descriptions of each framework component could further encouragement. (Mack and Filipe, 2020) The pandemic has prompted a paradigm shift into the digital world accelerating the need to innovate and value creative learning modalities. (Mealey, 2019; Price and Campbell, 2020) e virtual communities of practice curated by faculty expert in scholarly teaching and developing scholarship of teaching are increasingly receiving widespread attention. (Chan and Ankel, 2021) Dynamic, effective, evidence consistent and creative yes, permissive not so.
Despite understanding the humanistic value argued in “Cultural shift to valuing learning and learners over process” we would highlight the importance of the context intangibles of the learning process for a whole program evaluation. (Frye and Hemmer, 2012)
Practice and learning are increasingly intertwined at the point of care as the readiness to learn on the move about illness beyond knowing the disease.
How can this type of learning be accredited and demonstrable? How much of a role will organisations have in promoting these social practice-based learning spaces and determine the quality of CPD and consequently education and patient outcomes?
Should this be a requirement as a quality component in organisations’ accreditation?
At the forefront of other medical education stages, will CPD continuing progressive atomisation dimmer classic events?
What competencies should CPD educators need to master, to create demonstrable and amenable to accreditation learning experiences to embed into the HCPs daily working?
HCPs are urged into self-determined learning (Blaschke, 2012) and master a set of competency domains (Campbell et al, 2010) Through critical thinking and self-reflection, the adaptive learner (Cutrer et al, 2017) becomes capable to apply competencies in novel situations. Technology can be viewed as a personal partner in bringing, finding and storing information and finding people sharing similar goals. Networking constructive professional relationships, lifelong learners and educators become peers and co-build communities of practice that can work as supportive and trustful personal learning environments. (Siemens, 2005)
An exciting progression is surely on its way.
Congratulations to the Author for the initiative and the invitation to reflect on the CPD realm now and beyond.
Possible Conflict of Interest:
I would like to disclose being a member of the AMEE Committee for CPD